No Ordinary Couple
by gracia.michelle
Summary: All couples have their own secrets and it isn't any different with Elena Gilbert and Damon Salvatore. The only difference is that their secret could potentially land them both in prison or worse. That's why it's great that they're both amazing actors, brilliant at the art of deception.
1. The Very Beginning

_AN: So, here we go - a new story! It's another all human fic and I will warn you that updates for this story will be pretty slow until I finish the one I already have in progress. It's called Writer's Block so go check it out if you haven't read it already. So by posting this chapter I'm really just testing the waters to see what you think of the story, etc. So please do leave me your comments on the reviews or PM me and let me know what you think. If there's anyway I can improve the story let me know so that once I'm done with the other story I could maybe even rewrite some of the chapters if need be. Anyway, here's the first chapter. I hope you like it!_

Elena Gilbert sat at the front porch of her house watching the sun rise over the beautiful house that she shared with her soon-to-be-husband Damon Salvatore. For reasons known only to her and the man sleeping in her bedroom, she knew that the day was not going to be a peaceful one. As if on cue, she heard sirens blaring not too far away and in a matter of seconds an ambulance and a police car rushed by. She stretched lazily and looked down at her phone. It was 6.30 am. Damon would be awake soon. She stepped back into the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee and waited for the love of her life to walk down the stairs.

Keeping to his daily routine, Damon was at the kitchen at 6.45 am pouring himself a cup of coffee hoping that would wake him up enough to be productive at work. He caught Elena sitting at the counter with her own cup of coffee and dropped a kiss on her forehead saying, "Last night was amazing."

Elena grinned happily up at him. "I told you it was going to be perfect. Although I have to admit, I couldn't sleep after that."

"You've always been that way", he said sitting down next to her. "Even the tiniest bit of adrenaline and you're up all night. Anyway, it's a good thing you don't have to be at work until later. I on the other hand should get moving", he said looking at the clock. It was 7 am.

Elena smiled to herself as she got their breakfast ready. She could hear the shower go on upstairs and she knew exactly what he would be doing. After 3 years of living together, she knew his routine by heart. At 7.30 am sharp, he was back down in the kitchen and Elena had already laid the breakfast out for him. "I saw an ambulance and police cruiser heading towards Sunset Lane", she said making breakfast conversation.

"Sounds about right", answered Damon absentmindedly.

"No it doesn't", said Elena, getting his attention. But before she could say anything more, the front door swung open and in walked Damon's brother, Stefan Salvatore, dressed to impress in a blue suit. "Hey, Stefan", the couple called out without even looking up.

"You two should really lock the door", said Stefan as he walked to the kitchen.

"It's Mystic Falls, Stefan", said Elena as she got up and filled another plate with food for Stefan. "Nothing bad ever happens here."

"I wouldn't be so sure", answered Stefan. "Remember Katherine Pierce who lives on Sunset Lane?"

"Only too well", replied Damon with his signature smirk.

"Well, her house was burglarised this morning", he said. Of course he knew about that, thought Elena. After all, Stefan was a detective at the Mystic Falls police department.

"Is that where the ambulance and police car were headed this morning?" asked Elena as she sat back down in front of her food. All of a sudden she didn't feel like eating. "If it was just a burglary, why was the ambulance called?"

"When Katherine realised that her house had been broken into, she rushed downstairs to get to her landline. She slipped on the stairs and sprained her ankle", said Stefan as he hungrily scarfed down the food. Damon snickered at the thought of Katherine clumsily running down the stairs but Elena felt relieved. "I know you don't like her, Damon, but it's not nice to laugh", chided his brother.

"I'm sorry but I just can't get myself to feel sorry for her", said Damon finishing off his plate. As he got the necessary papers in his briefcase he said, "You do know that all the money she's got, she got by cheating other people, right? If you ask me she deserved what she got." He got a disapproving glare from Stefan in response.

"That's not a very nice thing to say", Elena told her fiancé as she helped him with his tie.

"What's with the suit?" Stefan asked Damon.

"I have a presentation today", he told him. "Fingers crossed I get this."

"I'm sure you will", said Elena. "I saw the plan, it looks amazing. Mystic Falls should be honoured to have another building designed by you added to its landscape."

"I hope my clients think so too", he said as he got his coat on. He leaned down and kissed Elena goodbye. Before he left he said to Stefan, "Katherine and her neighbours had a watch program. You should check in with them." When he turned back to Elena for a final goodbye, he saw her glaring at him and thought better of it. Damon Salvatore drove to his office, his spirits soring higher than ever.

Once Damon was out of the house, Stefan grabbed his coat, ready to leave. "You two really should be careful", he said to Elena. "I know you think that nothing could happen but let me tell you this, the burglary at Katherine's house was a real pro job. She was in the house but she didn't hear a thing, the alarm was never triggered, her cameras caught nothing and her neighbours saw nothing. Just be careful", he said and then headed to the crime scene.

Elena breathed a sigh of relief. She wondered how two men with the exact same upbringing could have been driven to such completely different lives. She had known both brothers since they were kids. Stefan was her age; they had been in the same class and had always been close. He had been the golden boy of his family. He had been amazing at school, always walked the straight and narrow. After graduating, he had enrolled to join the police force and quickly rose up its ranks. Damon on the other hand was five years older than her and Stefan. He was the black sheep of the family, had hated school, had always rebelled and had been forced into college. He had gone on to become and architect and to everyone's surprise, most of all, his father's, he had done exceedingly well. He had designed not only the house they now lived in but also a number of buildings all across the state. For someone in his 20s he had accomplished quite a lot.

Just as she was about to go upstairs and attempt to get some sleep, her gaze landed on a large sheet of paper. A closer look at it revealed that it was the layout of a house. She was about to call Damon and inform him that he had left behind one of his blueprints but then it struck her. She had studied that blueprint just the day before. She shook her head at her own forgetfulness and thanked God that Stefan hadn't realised that it wasn't one of Damon's drawings. She folded the paper and tore it in two before tossing it into the fireplace and set it on fire. Damon really could be lazy and careless sometimes. Once in her room, she walked straight to the bookshelf. She pushed aside a large bound book and revealed the steel locker hidden behind it. No one knew about the locker except her and Damon. She opened it and took out the single velvet pouch that lay inside. She emptied its contents onto her hand and admired the shiny necklace. She wasn't an expert on jewellery but she knew enough to know that it was studded with diamonds and a single large ruby and would be worth a fortune. She was also sure that this was the only item that went missing from Katherine Pierce's house during the previous night's robbery. Sure there would be some misplaced furniture, a cabinet or two left open but those were just to clue her in on the fact that she had been robbed.

Elena smiled as she thought of how easy it was to get past her alarm system. Her passcode had been her birthday and thanks to Damon's (or rather Stefan's) history with her, they were able to get in with no trouble at all. What she had been worried about was sneaking through the house without waking up its occupant. Luckily, Katherine was a heavy sleeper and she had also kept the door to her room shut. She looked closely at the jewel in her hand. Damon had a buyer lined up for this little beauty already. She put the necklace back in the pouch and locked the safe with it in it.

Whenever they robbed a house, they never kept any of the things for themselves. They always sold it for a fair price in the black market and then they gave away the money under the name of the person whom they had robbed. Damon sure did identify with Robin Hood. It appealed to his nature as both a rebel and a do gooder. Being smarter than most people gave him credit for he had already been at it for two years before she had finally figured it out. It became a lot harder to hide it from her once she had moved in. One day, she had found Carol Lockwood's missing pocket watch in the exact same locker and had confronted Damon about it when he had gotten home from work. After a loud and teary confrontation, he had confessed to stealing not only the pocket watch but also a number of other items. He had promised never to take such unnecessary risks ever again.

For a while, Damon had kept his word. He would read about unsolved cases and serial killers who were yet to be caught. Soon, he became obsessed with planning the perfect crime. He had told Elena that he just intended to plan it out but never actually execute it. His enthusiasm caught on to her as well and quite frankly, she didn't see the risk and that was how they became partners. The first plan they had ever drawn up together was a hit on the locker at Katherine's house. Damon hadn't shared why he had chosen Katherine and Elena hadn't asked. That was almost seven months ago. Since then, they had planned a number of heists at some of the most secure places in the country. They were plans that would never be carried out or so Elena promised herself. But when Elena learnt of about Katherine's role in the Salvatores' lives, her good intentions went out the window and she talked Damon into turning their dream of a perfect crime into a reality.

To say that Damon was excited would be an understatement. He had made some minor adjustments to the original idea and got together everything that they needed. He knew to go after the necklace as he claimed it was Katherine's most prized possession. Elena had even seen Katherine wearing it at a number of events and agreed that it was the perfect mark

An hour before the planned time, the doubts began to creep in. Was this really worth it? What if they got caught? What if they didn't get caught? What if the buyer didn't show the next day? What if the necklace isn't where Damon said it would be? What if…?

Damon had eased her mind regaling her with stories of his previous hits. When he had deemed her sufficiently calm, they had made their way to Katherine's house. She didn't live too far away so, they walked. The white picket fence wasn't locked and she didn't have any dogs. The two scanned the houses around them and saw that most of the lights were off. They made their way to the front porch in complete silence. Then, there was the next barrier – her alarm. It was armed and they had only one shot to get it right. Knowing Katherine, he knew that it would either be her birthday or the last four digits of her phone number, neither of which were smart choices. She was so sure of herself that she alternated the code every month. According to Damon's calculations, it would be her birthday. Elena had found herself praying as Damon entered the passcode. When he hit the last digit, she almost expected the alarm to sound alerting everyone in a two mile radius. She held her breath for five seconds and breathed out when her expectations weren't met. She carefully stepped into the house behind Damon, her heart hammering hard in her chest. She followed Damon's every move and did her best not to make a sound. Within five minutes, they had found the necklace exactly where Damon said it would be and were safely making their way back home. Once Damon had locked the door behind them, she had laughed out loud wondering why she had been so worried. "You made it seem so effortless", she had said to him, earning a huge grin in response.

Since then, she had been on an adrenaline high that she just couldn't get off of. Damon on the other hand had been able to sleep like a baby. She gave up completely on sleep and decided to prepare lunch. She had a part time job as a receptionist and she wasn't expected at the office until 2 pm. She had plenty of time to grab a quick lunch with Damon and Stefan. She sent a text to both brothers telling them to meet her at the park near the police station.

At 12.30 pm, she had managed to have a bath and get the food prepared and packed. She was surprised when she heard a car pull into their drive way. Her heart rate quickened. It was probably just Damon, she told herself. Then why did she feel dizzy all of a sudden? She held on to the counter to steady herself. The door clicked open and she breathed a sigh of relief when Damon walked in with a huge smile on his face. "They loved it", he said. "The City Hall is officially mine." His eyes sparkled with joy and enthusiasm that was contagious. She went up to him and enveloped him in a big hug.

"I knew it", she said, pride evident in her voice. "So should we head out now? We're supposed to meet Stefan in half an hour."

"We still have a couple of minutes to spare", he said holding her close as his lips landed on hers. He gave her a puzzled look when she pulled away. "What's wrong?" he asked her. "You're not having second thoughts about last night, are you?"

"I'm not", she assured him. "Now that the rush is gone, I'm worried about what would happen if we got caught."

"We won't get caught", he said pulling her into a hug. She could tell he was smiling when he added, "If we do get caught, we should petition to be cell mates."

Elena couldn't help but laugh. "I'm pretty sure we'll be in two different prisons."

"That would be boring", he said with a smirk. "We covered everything. We didn't leave dirt on the floor. We didn't leave any finger prints. They won't be able to trace it back to us. You've got to believe that. If you seem nervous whenever the topic comes up, you're just going to look guilty and that's going to make people suspicious. Right now, all we have to do is avoid suspicion and once I sell the necklace, I'll make the donation just like I used to and they'll just add it to the long list of unsolved robberies."

"Who are you going to donate it to?" she asked.

"Shining Stars Foundation", Damon answered. "It's only fitting. She used to call that necklace her shining star."

"For someone who hates the woman, you sure do know a lot about her", said Elena as she grabbed the lunch and signalled him to lead the way.

Damon held the door open for her and said, "Is that jealousy I hear?" he said lifting an eyebrow. "Stefan dated her for a while and my dad loved her which means she hung around the house more than I liked. You know what's sad though? My dad never believed me. He still thinks that Katherine was telling him the truth and I was lying to him." Elena loaded the food into the car and held out her hand. "What?" he asked.

"Give me the keys", she said. "You're angry and you turn into the world's worst driver when you're angry. I'm sure your brother would appreciate it if we arrived for lunch in one piece."

"Oh no, he'll be happy as long as the lunch arrives in one piece." Elena continued to glare at him making him give up and hand over the keys. Together, they made their way to the park to meet Stefan.

-xx-

Captain Mason Lockwood was furious. Katherine Pierce maybe young but she sure was powerful. If he didn't solve the case by the end of the week, he was pretty sure that he'd be fired. "Salvatore, Donovan, my office", he said signalling the two detectives.

Stefan and his partner, Matt Donovan exchanged worried looks as they entered the captain's office. The two of them had attended high school together and later had enrolled together. They had been working together since their first day on the force. "Any leads on the Pierce case?" the captain asked them.

"No sir", said Matt. "But it looks like an inside job. The alarm was disabled using the code at 1.45 am."

"The problem is Katherine wasn't so secretive with her passcode. She admitted a lot of people knew it", added Stefan.

"I don't care", said Mason. "I want you to talk to every single one of them. Has CSU finished their sweep?"

"They have, sir", answered Stefan. "But they came up empty. They couldn't even find a partial finger print or a strand of hair."

"What are the chances that this was professionally done?" he asked his subordinates.

"Had you asked me this morning, I would have said very high but we're not so sure any more", answered Stefan. "There is no physical evidence which sounds like a professional job."

"But the only thing they took was a necklace. The painting on her living room wall is worth more than that necklace. When we spoke to Katherine, she confirmed it. She has a lot of things in her house that are worth a lot more", elaborated Matt.

"The necklace did mean a lot to her", added Stefan. "She said it was a family heirloom."

"I know you guys are going to think I'm crazy but what if it's the same person who stole from Carol Lockwood, Giuseppe Salvatore and the others?" asked Matt voicing his concern.

"I doubt it", said Mason. "That guy's been quiet for a while now. I always assumed he was just passing through Mystic Falls."

"And besides there haven't been any donations made in Katherine's name", said Stefan.

"Anything else you can tell me?" asked Mason once again. The two men exchanged looks making it obvious to Mason that they had potentially hit a dead end. "I want this case solved ASAP", he said and dismissed them.

As the two of them walked out of the captain's cabin, Stefan turned to Matt and asked, "You're convinced that this has something to do with the previous thefts, aren't you?"

"Call it a gut feeling", said Matt. "But I just can't shake it. Although I hope it isn't the same guy. He was smart; we still don't have a clue as to who it could have been."

"That's because the trail went cold", said Stefan.

"That's not how we're supposed to work, Stefan", said Matt, in reply. "We can't wait for cases to pile up to find who the perpetrator is. We have to find him in the shortest amount of time so we can prevent future incidents. The fact that there wasn't enough evidence shouldn't have been an excuse."

"Agreed", said Stefan nodding his head. "Look, Matt, I told my brother and his fiancée that I would meet them for lunch so I'm going to bolt. I'll see you in an hour", he said and then waved and headed off to the park.

The minute he reached the park, he noticed Elena beaming up at Damon as he animatedly spoke about something he couldn't make out. Damon suddenly looked up and saw Stefan and waved him over. "You're in a really good mood today", observed Stefan.

"Why wouldn't I be?" asked Damon. "The sun is shining, the birds are singing and my design has been approved!"

"I knew it", said Stefan, sitting down. "Congratulations."

"How's the case going?" Elena asked him as she passed out the food. "Are you guys any closer to catching the thief?"

"Not really", answered Stefan rubbing the back of his neck, a nervous habit. "It's been a while since the police department here has had to deal with anything more than accidents and mishaps. Matt seems to be convinced that it's the same person who stole from Carol Lockwood and Bill Forbes but the Captain thinks they're unrelated."

"What about you?" asked Damon, more interested in the food than in the conversation. "What do you think?"

"I don't know what to think. I guess unless Katherine gets a receipt of a donation made in her name I'm going to assume that they aren't connected", said Stefan sighing. They all fell silent for a while as they ate until Stefan spoke up again. "If I remember correctly, you two were planning the perfect crime once. Am I right?" he asked making Elena almost choke on her food. Damon simply nodded still absorbed in his salad. "How would you have done it?"

Elena was still at a loss for words but thankfully, Stefan didn't seem to have noticed or at least he didn't say anything even if had noticed. Damon however had no such issues. "It's not that difficult", he said. "There are only three things stopping someone from breaking into Katherine's house – an alarm, the surveillance cameras and a neighbourhood watch program."

"She didn't have any cameras at home but that's still two more things than you have to prevent something like that", said Stefan fixing them each with a stern look. Stefan really couldn't understand how his brother could be so comfortable living in a house without any kind of safety. They even left the doors unlocked when either one of them were home. But to be fair, most of Mystic Fall's residents did live that way but that changed after the last string of burglaries.

Damon just rolled his eyes at Stefan and continued, "If the person who broke into her house had observed it at first, he would have known all this. Now, human eyes are inefficient at best at night. So evading the neighbours is easy as long as you don't make too much noise and besides, this was supposed to be late in the night, wasn't it?" Stefan nodded. "So everyone was probably asleep by then. The next part is getting the alarm code – now if you're a professional, I'm sure that's not so difficult to do. If you can fix cameras at the right position, you can video tape Katherine entering her code and voila!"

"So you think this was a professional hit?" asked Stefan.

"I have no idea", said Damon. "You're the cop, you tell me."


	2. The Buy

_AN: Wow! I got a much better response for this story than I was expecting. I guess the idea of Damon and Elena on the wrong side of the law is pretty appealing. Anyway, thank you so much for following and reviewing and favouriting. And as I mentioned earlier, I am open to making changes to the story so if there's anything you think I could change to make this story better please do let me know. Anyway, here's chapter 2- hope you enjoy it! :)_

After lunch with Stefan at the park, the couple had driven home. It was already 2 pm. She was going to be late. She rushed around the house, getting into work appropriate attire and adding the necessary accessories. Damon had changed into a comfortable pair of jeans and t shirt and now he sat at the living room couch with his feet up on the coffee table observing her. When she was ready to leave she stopped in front of Damon and asked, "What are you doing? Aren't you going back to your office?"

"No I just thought I would relax and celebrate a job well done", he said opening the day's newspaper.

"Well, you're lucky you're self-employed. If you weren't you'd probably be fired by now", she said as she looked for her car keys. "I have an interview in the morning tomorrow so if that goes well, I can quit this job and move on to something more permanent." Elena currently worked part time at a corporate office as a receptionist. She only worked for about 4 hours every day and that was the problem. She was left with way too much time on her hands, which was something she wasn't used to. With Damon away all day, it was all she could do not to tear the whole house apart in a fit of annoyance and boredom.

"You know, you don't have to find a job right?" asked Damon. "I'm fully capable of providing for us."

"I don't doubt that for a minute", answered Elena. "But unless you want to come home every day to a bored and annoyed woman on the verge of a mental break down, you should let me get a full time job." Damon just gave her a thumbs up. Elena glanced at her watch. It was 2.15 pm. "I'm going to be late", she said as she leaned in to give her fiancé a quick kiss.

Just as she was about to walk out the door, she heard Damon say, "Don't forget to take your keys. I'll have to meet a buyer tonight. I won't be home when you come back."

Damon heard the door close behind him and sank deeper into the couch, deep in thought. His mind flashed to a large man with the tattoo of a snake coiling around his arm. Jordan would be pleased, he thought with a smile. Jordan always found buyers for the things that Damon stole; Jordan was his fence. They weren't in any kind of permanent partnership; it was merely a convenience. Jordan was easy to contact and he knew better than to ask any questions and Damon appreciated that. In the time that they had worked together, they had managed to build up enough trust that Jordan no longer asked to appraise the stolen goods before setting Damon up with the buyers. When Damon had called him that morning, Jordan had been more than happy to hear from him. What had made him even happier was the fact that Damon now had in his possession a one of a kind piece of jewellery that would definitely bring in a large amount of cash.

Damon spent the next couple of hours catching up on the news. He had told Elena that they wouldn't get caught and he believed it too. But that didn't mean that he was going to be complacent. He knew that he had to keep an eye out just in case someone got too close. He had been extra careful this time since Elena was involved and the last thing he wanted was for her to land in jail with him. That's why he had a backup plan, one Elena knew nothing about. A couple of hours later, he went to his hiding place and took out the necklace. He admired the jewel one last time before putting it back in its pouch and stuffing it into his jacket pocket. He got into his car and headed straight to Jordan's usual haunt, Scull Bar. He walked in with his head down just as he had done a number of times. He didn't have to scan the room to know where Jordan would be. He walked straight ahead until he stood right in front of the bar area and then took the third seat to his right. "Ever seen a stone so pretty?" Damon asked the man next to him.

"Never", said the man and turned around to face him. "It's nice to see you again, Salvatore. I heard you were keeping your nose clean."

"I have", answered Damon. "But a leopard can't change its spots, you know?"

"I know", said Jordan with a laugh. "So how's that pretty fiancée of yours?"

"She's great." Damon couldn't help the smile that appeared the second he thought of her. "She's the best thing that ever happened to me."

"And the worst thing that happened to me", joked Jordan. "Ever since she moved in I've lost some buyers because I couldn't produce things as valuable as the ones you used to bring me. I was worried I'd have to move to a bigger town."

"Well, don't get too excited", said Damon. "This is just a one-time thing. I was just trying to get rid of some of my anger against Katherine."

"You stole from the Pierce girl?" asked Jordan in shock. "Serves her right", he said bitterly. "All these years she's been stealing people's money, it's time she got a taste of her own medicine."

"I couldn't agree more", said Damon and then ordered both of them a drink.

"The buyer is an old one", Jordan told him. "Remember Kol Mikaelson?"

"The British guy who bought the Fell's silverware?" asked Damon.

"The very same", answered Jordan. "He's seen Katherine wearing it before and he's been trying to convince me to get one of the guys I know to steal it for him. He's offering quite a lot of cash in exchange."

"How does he even know about the necklace?" asked Damon. "I thought you said he wasn't from Mystic Falls."

"He isn't", said Jordan. "I'm not stupid enough to get into bed with someone from Mystic Falls. His brothers were under her a spell for a while. He says she tore his family apart."

"That does sound like Katherine", said Damon. "If Stefan hadn't been with me when I caught her in the act, she would have torn us apart as well."

"Good evening, gentlemen", said a voice from behind the men.

Jordan got to his feet and turned to a man standing by the door. The man nodded to him and Jordan smiled at Kol. "It sure is nice to see you again", he said. "Let's get down to business." He gestured for Kol to take the seat next to him. "I know you've been after a peculiar piece of jewellery and now that's in Damon's hands."

"You managed to get Katherine's shining star?" asked Kol in disbelief.

Damon didn't answer. He simply reached into his pocket for the tiny pouch and emptied its contents on to the bar.

Jordan took the necklace in his hands and took a closer look at it. "It's the real deal", he told Kol. "Not that I'd ever doubt you Damon."

"It's all good, Jordan", said Damon.

Kol greedily took the jewel and smiled at the men. "I can't tell you how pleased I am to see this. I know I had promised you a million for it and I'll transfer it out to you now", he said as he opened his laptop and started making the transaction. "I'll keep the amount on each transaction low so you don't have any trouble with the cops."

"Who do you want me to make it out to", Jordan asked Damon.

"Shining stars foundation", he answered.

"That's fitting", said Kol. "And we're done", he said as the last of the transaction was successfully made. Jordan checked his balance on the phone and nodded. "It was great doing business with you gentlemen", said Kol as he got to his feet.

"Indeed it was", answered Jordan. "Just make sure you keep that necklace out of Mystic Falls", he warned him. Kol waved him off and left.

"So you'll send it to them as soon as possible?" Damon asked Jordan.

"I know how it works", answered Jordan. "You'll be hearing about it in a day or two."

"I appreciate that", said Damon.

"Well, you can show me your appreciation by having a drink with me", Jordan said. Just then the man at the door walked to them and whispered something into his ear. Jordan nodded and said to Damon, "I'm afraid we're going to have to make plans some other time. The cops are here. Be on your best behaviour, kid." With that Jordan paid the bartender and quickly walked out the bar through the back door. No sooner had he disappeared, the bar door burst open and a tall man walked upto the bartender and held out a photograph to him. "Have you seen this man before?" he asked him.

Damon recognised the voice immediately and almost choked on his drink. "Stefan?" he asked.

Stefan spun around, equally surprised. "What are you doing here?" he asked his brother, leaving Matt to deal with the bartender.

"This place has some amazing scotch", answered Damon pointing to his drink. "I figured I could have a drink here before Elena got home."

Having finished his conversation with the bartender, Matt joined the brothers. "The bartender denies knowing Jordan", he told Stefan. "But the man there", he said pointing to the far end of the bar, "said he saw the two of you talking." He turned to face Damon. "Is that true?" He held out the picture for Damon to see.

"Of course I spoke to him", answered Damon. "He seemed like pretty cool guy too."

"Damon", sighed Stefan. "He isn't a pretty cool guy. He's a fence!"

"Yeah", agreed Matt. "We were going to question him about Katherine's necklace."

"You were going to ask a fence in Mystic Falls about a piece of jewellery that was stolen at Mystic Falls", said Damon slowly, picking his words with care. "That makes no sense."

"What are you talking about?" asked Stefan.

"If it were me, I would wait until all the police excitement dies down and then I'd go sell it somewhere far away from Mystic Falls in a place where no one's even heard of Katherine Pierce", he said.

"That would be the smart thing to do", conceded Matt. "But we just want to cover out bases."

Damon nodded. "Fair enough", he said.

"What did he say to you?" Stefan asked him.

"Nothing much", answered Damon. "He, a friend of his and I just talked about the game coming up. That reminds me, are you coming over to watch it?"

"I guess so", answered Stefan. "Did you get the friend's name?"

"He didn't tell me and I didn't ask", said Damon.

"Alright", said Matt. "Did he say anything about where he was going or what he was doing?"

"No not really", he said pretending to think. "He did mention he hated the mess kids made at school these days. I figured he works at some school as a janitor."

"I really wish you would be more careful, Damon", said Stefan. "If you remember anything else he said, just call me and let me know, alright?"

"Yes, Dad", answered Damon with a roll of his eyes.

Stefan just shook his head. "Get home to Elena before she starts worrying about you. And I would really feel better if you're home with her when it's dark. If someone's breaking into houses, you guys are easy targets."

"Understood", said Damon as he got of his seat and paid the bartender. "I'll see you around, Stefan. Don't forget, game's on Saturday." He walked calmly out of the bar even as his heart raced. When he reached his car, he turned around and saw Matt and Stefan at the police cruiser. He waved to the two of them and then got inside. Putting his keys in the ignition, he breathed out a sigh of relief and drove home.

Once he reached home, he parked his car and took a deep calming breath. He didn't need Elena finding out about this. She was already worried and he really didn't want to make things worse. He composed himself as best as he could and walked in through the unlocked door. He closed the door behind him and looked up to see that Elena was on the phone in the kitchen and she hadn't heard him come in. His eyes gleamed with mischief as a plan formed in his mind. He stealthily walked towards the kitchen making sure to stay out of her line of sight. He inched into the room when Elena's back was turned to him and picked up the knife she had left on the cutting board. He held the knife raised over his head and put an enraged expression on his face. Less than 10 seconds later when she turned around, his efforts were rewarded with a glass shatter shriek of pure horror. Damon dropped the knife and doubled over laughing.

Elena's hand flew to her chest when she realised that there was no danger. She could hear Caroline Forbes' concerned voice on the other end of the phone asking her if she was alright and if she needed to call the police. "It's alright Caroline", she assured her friend. "It's just Damon. He thinks he's so funny." She glared at him as he grabbed the knife of the floor and washed it before cutting the onions that were still laid out on the cutting board. Elena moved to the hall to continue her conversation. When she came back into the kitchen, she saw Damon was hard at work on the onions but he still hadn't stopped laughing. "That wasn't funny", she said sternly as she stood at the doorway with her hands on her hips.

"You have to admit it was a little funny", he said. She didn't say a word but kept glaring at him. "You know, if you're afraid you should lock the door like Stefan suggested."

Elena sighed and shook her head. "Give me the knife", she said. "You're butchering the onions."

"Gladly", he said as he handed her the knife. He took the seat she previously sat in and said, "The buy was successful. I got a million in exchange for it. Katherine Pierce will soon receive a thank you note from Shining Stars Foundation."

"So nothing of note happened?" she asked him without looking up.

"Not really", said Damon. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh I don't know, maybe because Stefan told me that he ran into you at the Scull bar", she said staring him right in the eye.

"I didn't want to scare you", he told her. "I know how worried you've been about getting caught so I just figured you'd feel a lot better if you didn't know about it. What did Stefan tell you anyway?"

"He called me to tell me that he was going to be in the area for a while so if you were to call home drunk, then I should tell him so he could get you home", said Elena, putting down the knife. "You're lucky to have Stefan as your brother, you know that?"

"I know", answered Damon with a sly smile. "He's got a heart of gold and he's also really gullible."

"Damon", she warned. "What happened anyway?"

"They were after the fence", said Damon. "They couldn't get him but some guy in the bar told them that he was talking to me so I made up some lame story about how we were talking about the upcoming game."

"And he bought it?" she asked.

"Yep", he said gleefully. "They both did."

Elena abandoned the onions and moved around to sit next to Damon. "So now what?" she asked him.

"Now, nothing", he answered. "We just go back to planning crimes we're never going to commit. Katherine will report the donation and the police will link it to that elusive guy who stole all those years ago and there'll be a lot of interest in the case. They'll go over the evidence from the previous crime scenes and also the current one to see if they can figure something out. In time, they'll realise that there's nothing new and there won't be any more robberies and they'll just give up. Life will be back to normal in Mystic Falls."

Elena nodded. "Now before I turn into a bundle of nerves again, what would you like for dinner? Spaghetti or lasagne?"

"Whatever you want", he answered.

Elena smiled and kissed him before going back to their dinner.

-xx-

"Your brother has terrible timing", Matt told Stefan with a laugh. "What are the odds that he would be at the same bar as a thief and engaged in a conversation with him just when we were looking to arrest him?"

"It's Damon", said Stefan, shaking his head. "The odds are higher than you'd think. Remember how Damon had this reputation of being a bad boy? Well, they weren't entirely true. Sure he was mean and he loved to drink but it never really went beyond that. He hung out with a wrong crowd but even at his worst, he was never directly involved in anything."

"So was it a different Damon who put the frogs in the principal's office?" asked Matt, sceptically.

"Oh yeah", said Stefan. "I almost forgot about that one. But that was senior prank night." Stefan thought back to that event. On the night before the first day of their senior year, the students usually gathered at the school campus to set up various pranks and gags. They usually targeted the hallway, the classrooms and the gym. But in Damon's year, he and his best friend, Alaric Saltzmann had broken into the principal's room and the staff lounge allowing the students entrance into a thus far uncharted territory. At the end of the night, Damon and Alaric had decided that it would be fun to get the principal as well and had managed to get a couple of frogs from the nearby lake and put them in the principal's desk. Stefan had still been in middle school at the time and had heard about how the principal had screamed and shrieked at the sight of the frogs in the middle of the morning announcements. The principal had been out for blood but lucky for them, nobody said a word. It was widely speculated that Damon was behind the prank but no one could prove it. In fact, even Stefan hadn't received confirmation of the fact until about three years later. "You have to admit it was a good one though", he said to Matt.

"It was", said Matt. "But listen, this case is a big one and the captain is not going to go easy on him when he figures out that your brother was out there talking to the fence."

"I know", said Stefan, sighing. "I will give him the heads up first thing in the morning tomorrow. I just hope he doesn't say something stupid in front of the captain. They don't really like each other."

As if on cue, they heard the Mason calling them, "Donovan, Salvatore, in my office now."

Matt and Stefan exchanged knowing glances. "Good luck", an officer mouthed to them as they walked towards Mason's cabin.

"How could the two of you be so careless?" Mason asked them as soon as they entered. "You let our best lead slip right through your fingers."

"In all fairness, captain, I don't think he was much of a lead", said Matt. "Talking to him was just a way to cover our bases, nothing more."

Mason was seething as he paced his cabin. "Did the two of you even read his file before you went to arrest him? He has an account in the Caymans. He makes large donations to charities."

"Wait a minute", said Stefan interrupting him. "I thought we believed that there was no connection between the two cases."

"We don't have any proof that they are connected so far", said Mason. "But that doesn't mean that they aren't. We have to keep an open mind about this." He then sat down and gestured for the two of them to sit down as well. "What happened out there?"

"Someone must have tipped him off", said Stefan. "He was there having a drink and left before we could get him."

"Damon mentioned he was with someone else", added Matt. "So maybe the other guy was a buyer or at least a potential buyer."

"What does Damon have to do with this?" asked Mason.

"Before we went in, Damon was engaged in a conversation with Jordan and his friend", answered Stefan. Before Mason could interrupt him with any more questions, he continued, "Damon said that they were just talking sports and there was nothing odd about him. He even went as far as calling him a pretty cool guy."

"Well, your brother isn't exactly the best judge of character so forgive me if I don't take his word for it", said Mason, his anger bubbling to the surface again.

"We're not saying that you should", said Matt trying to contain the situation. "All we're saying is that we weren't interrupting a buy or something else that could have given us a good reason to arrest him."

"Fine", said Mason. "As long as you're working this case, I want you to report to me every night on whatever progress you make during the day." The two detectives nodded. "Is there anything I should know?"

"Not really", said Matt. "It's as if the guy's a ghost."

"Well, he's not", said Mason. "We know that for a fact. So he couldn't have gotten away without leaving any evidence at all. There must be something we're missing; something he missed as well. We just need to find out what it is."

Just as Matt was about to reply, he heard a knock on the door and turned around. "Can't you see I'm in the middle of something?" Mason barked at the detective.

"Sir, you're going to want to see this", the detective answered in a shaky voice. Mason glared at him but didn't stop him. "We found the painting that was stolen from Giuseppe Salvatore."

"Wasn't that one of the items stolen by the guy who made donations?" asked Mason.

"Yes sir", the man confirmed.

"Has it been authenticated?" he asked again.

"It has", answered the detective. "And Mr Salvatore has been notified of the results as well."

"Where was it found?" asked Mason.

"The FBI made an arrest last night and they found this in his warehouse", answered the detective.

"So I guess the two cases aren't connected after all", Mason said to Matt and Stefan.

"Actually sir, the man said he was just moving pieces for a friend", said the detective. "Also, his plastic seems to indicate that he's never been to Mystic Falls or this side of Virginia so I doubt if he's the guy. I've also been asked to inform you that the FBI will be contacting you regarding this soon."

Mason nodded. "Duly noted." The detective left the room, leaving the three men alone once more. "I have no idea what to say", Mason admitted. "It's unfortunate that Mystic Falls has gone from being one of the safest places in the world to a place that's so out of control that the Feds need to intervene. Just talk to Damon again. See if he forgot to mention anything."

"Yes sir", said Stefan. "I'll talk to him in the morning before I get here."

"That might be for the best", agreed Mason. "He might open up to you more given you are his brother. Just keep me posted", he said dismissing them.

"Damon's getting off the hook easy", said Matt.

"I know", said Stefan. "And trust me, he isn't going to appreciate it at all. He's probably just going to make fun of me when I question him."

"Hey, that's what brothers are for", said Matt, laughing.


	3. Where Are You?

_AN: I'm alive! And no one's more surprised by it than I am. I've had a crazy schedule in the last couple of months and so I haven't really been able to update any of my stories. But fret not, I do intend to complete all of them. Anyway, I've been reading the reviews and I'm glad you liked the story. Thank you so much for taking the time out to leave a review. So here's the next chapter. Hopefully this will set the pace for the next few chapters. Please do read, follow and favourite and most importantly, let me know what you think._

Stefan was good at interrogating suspects. He knew how to get answers from even the toughest criminals but getting answers from his brother was going to be a whole new kind of ball game. He sighed loudly and knocked on the front door. It was still 7.15 am and he was sure that Damon would still be home. A few seconds later, the door opened and Damon grinned at him. "Since when do you knock?" he asked.

"Uh…" Stefan hesitated.

"Spit it out, baby bro", said Damon as he stepped away from the door to let Stefan in.

"The captain wanted me to talk to you again about yesterday", answered Stefan. "I just want to know if there's anything else you'd like to tell us about the guy you were talking to."

Damon pretended to think for a few seconds. "Nothing comes to mind", he said at last. "He was just this random guy I spoke to at the bar last night."

"Alright", said Stefan slowly.

"Breakfast's on the table, Stefan", he heard Elena call out. "I'd make it quick if I were you. The toast isn't going to stay toasty all day."

"Thanks", said Stefan as he tucked into his breakfast beside Damon. "Did you hear that they recovered dad's painting?"

"Which one?" asked Damon absent mindedly.

"Are you talking about the one that was stolen last year?" asked Elena.

"That's the one", confirmed Stefan.

"That was a total waste of police resources", said Damon. "That painting was ugly!" He looked up from his breakfast to see Stefan glaring at him.

"Ignore him", Elena said to Stefan. "He's an architect, not an interior decorator."

"Well, anyway", Stefan continued turning back to his plate of food; "The whole station's excited about it. This is the first time we've been able to recover something that was stolen from the Good Samaritan. I guess there's still hope that we can catch this guy."

"You're calling him the Good Samaritan?" asked Damon sceptically. "I thought he was a thief."

"He is but most of the charities he's donated to say that they were really in need of the money at the time", answered Stefan by way of explanation. "He may have hurt one group of people but he did help another."

"Sounds like you're defending him", said Damon.

"I'm not", said Stefan. "I just think that despite the fact that he's a criminal, he's got a good heart. He doesn't keep the money for himself, at least we don't think he does. He gives it all away to the people who need them. As far as criminals are concerned, he's not as bad as the rest of them."

Damon couldn't help but grin at his brothers words. "What are the odds of the police catching him?" asked Elena, concerned.

"Slim to none", Damon answered for Stefan as his brother glared at him. Damon just shrugged. "I mean if you haven't caught him yet, you're unlikely to catch him now. I know you've managed to recover something he stole but since then, that painting has probably changed hands at least a dozen times. I doubt you'll be able to get any evidence off of it."

"That's probably true", Stefan had to concede. "But you never know. May be his luck's starting to run out." Stefan pushed the now empty plate away from him. "It's got the guys excited and it's got me excited too. I could be the guy that arrests a thief who's been a ghost all this while." Stefan got up and then turned to Damon. "Mason might want to talk to you again about the guy at the bar. If he does, try not to piss him off."

Damon considered the request for a minute and then said, "Fine. I'll try but no promises."

Stefan just shook his head and then left after saying his good byes to his brother and future sister in law.

As soon as Stefan closed the door behind him, Elena asked, "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to work now and then I'll be back home in time for lunch", answered Damon. "I don't have clients to meet or anything so I can just work from home after that."

Elena rolled her eyes as she moved closer to him. "You know I'm not talking about that. The police seem to be closing in on you."

"They're not", said Damon with conviction. "I sold the painting a long time ago and I'm sure that there's no evidence on it."

"What if your finger prints are still on that painting?" asked Elena.

"Actually, I'm sure that my prints are on that painting", answered Damon. "And so are Stefan's and my dad's and probably even my mother's. I can assure you, the police will just write it off."

"I hope you're right", said Elena with a sigh before she turned back and started clearing the empty plates away.

"I am right, Elena", said Damon softly, trying to reassure her. "Everything's going to be just fine." He got on his feet and walked up to her and put his arms around her. "Now don't you worry your pretty little head about it. And besides, don't you have a wedding to plan?"

"I do", said Elena. "Thank you for reminding me. I'm meeting with the caterers and we'll probably decide on a menu today and then we're going cake tasting on Saturday."

"We?" asked Damon stepping away. "Did you just say 'we'?"

"Of course I did", answered Elena. "Cake tastings are a couple thing and we are a couple."

"Can't you just pick something out with chocolate in it?" whined Damon.

"I could but then it just wouldn't be the same", said Elena. "Promise me that you won't try to get out of this."

Damon just gave her a mischievous grin and made his way back to their room. He picked up his coat and looked at his watch. It was 8.30 am. Stefan's little unexpected interrogation had set him back a lot more than he had expected but it didn't matter. It wasn't like he needed to be there on time. He just needed to spend enough hours at his office to make sure that his assistant, Rose, didn't let the building burn down to the ground. He went back to the hall and found Elena sitting on the couch with her legs under her, going through a magazine. She looked up when she heard his footsteps on the landing. She held up the magazine she had been reading and asked, "What do you think?" The page showed a beautiful outdoor setting with a tall arch at the centre with vines creeping all around it. The chairs were decorated in white and gold as were the little pedestals on either side of the arch. The whole thing was set up along the edge of a grass plain. On the other side, was a clear lake that glistened in the summer sun. It really was a sight to behold. "It looks amazing", answered Damon as he took the magazine from her hand.

"This place is actually not too far away from here", said Elena. "When I first read about I wondered how I'd never seen it before. It's right in between Mystic Falls and Whitmore. It would be the perfect place to have this wedding."

"I think so too", answered Damon with a smile.

"I'll call and find out if we can rent it for the day", said Elena as she took the magazine back and started flipping through the pages again.

"I'll be back by noon. I'll see you before you have to leave for work", he said to Elena. He leaned forward and kissed her before heading out. As soon as he stepped outside his house, Damon had the strange feeling that he was being watched. He looked around to see if he could spot something out of the ordinary. But when he couldn't he got into his car, adjusted his mirror and began driving towards his office. Within a matter of minutes, he realised he had a tail. Damon pulled up to the side of the road and got of his car. He stood leaning against the door as he watched the other car come to a slow halt a few feet ahead of his own car. When he saw that the driver had no intention of getting out, he walked to the car and gently tapped on the window. The diver lowered her window and asked, "What can I do for you?"

"You could stop following me", suggested Damon coldly.

"And why would I do that?" asked the woman.

"I don't know. May be because it's creepy", said Damon with a shrug.

"Do you mind stepping away, I'd like to get out?" asked the woman. Damon took a step backward allowing her room to open the door. Once outside she extended his arm to Damon and said, "Caroline Forbes, private investigator." Damon shook her hand as he took in her appearance. She was tall and well dressed. To him, she looked a lot more like a wealthy politician than a private investigator. "I was hired by Giuseppe Salvatore to look into his stolen painting. He didn't really believe in the police and I don't blame him."

"Yeah, neither do I", commented Damon. "But that still doesn't explain why you were following me."

"It's my job to follow potential suspects, Mr Salvatore", answered Caroline. "Also, I happen to have a couple of questions for you."

"Ask away", said Damon, relaxing his stance.

"You were at your father's house the night the painting was stolen, am I correct?" she asked.

"You are", answered Damon. "My father was hosting a little family get together that night."

"Who else was there?" asked Caroline.

"Just me, my brother, my dad, his brother and his wife", said Damon.

"That's five people", noted Caroline. "Are you telling me that a burglar struck when all five of you were inside and none of you heard a thing?"

"That's exactly what I'm telling you", said Damon. "If you want to know what happened that night, you could just read the report. The police were pretty thorough about that."

"I have read the report already", said Caroline. "There are a few things that just don't add up."

"What things?" asked Damon. He was starting to lose his patience.

"The painting was in its place at 6 pm before dinner but by the time you moved back to the hall at 7 pm, the painting was gone", Caroline recounted the facts that she had read in the police report. "The maid at your father's house confirmed seeing it at 6.40 pm when she brought out dessert. So the painting disappeared in 20 minutes. Where were you during those 20 minutes, Damon?"

"I was at the dinner table with the rest of my family", answered Damon, easily.

"No, you weren't", said Caroline. "At least, not the whole time."

"That's right", said Damon. "I got a call from a client that night and I stepped outside so I could take it."

"And then you came back in 10 minutes later. When you stepped out of the room did you see the painting?" she asked.

"I don't know", said Damon, trying to concentrate. "It had to have been there", he said at last. "I probably just didn't notice it."

Caroline simply nodded. "Do you remember the name of the client who supposedly called you?"

Damon hesitated. "I don't know", he said. "It was a long time ago."

"Well, I can tell you", said Caroline. "I looked into your phone records. I'm sure the police didn't do it because Giuseppe is your father and by extension, you were also the victim."

"Where exactly are you going with this?" asked Damon. "Can you please get to the point quickly; I have to get to work?" He rubbed his temple willing the forming headache to go away.

"Fair enough", said Caroline. "I have a theory. You pretend to be getting a phone call from a client and you excused yourself and stepped out of the room. But instead of going outside the house like you claimed you did, you just opened and shut the door so everyone else thought you were outside. You then took the painting and hid it away."

"That's ridiculous", said Damon.

"Is it?" asked Caroline, arching her eyebrows.

"That was a pretty big painting. Where would I have hidden it?" asked Damon.

"I still haven't figured out that part yet", said Caroline.

"When you do, be sure to give me a call", Damon said and turned on his heels and headed back to his car. He heard Caroline call out behind him, "You better watch your back, Good Samaritan because I'm going to hunt you down."

"You give me too much credit", said Damon as he got into his car and continued driving back to his office. He checked his rear view mirror every few minutes and sure enough, he saw Caroline's car following him. For the first time in a long time, Damon could feel his heart thump viciously in his chest. He took a deep calming breath and tried to ignore the blonde woman following him. It wasn't until he was finally within the confines of his office, that he was able to relax. He mentally berated himself for panicking. He reminded himself that Caroline's theory was just that. She had no proof to back up what she was saying. The thought helped. He pushed her out of his mind and even managed to get a good portion of his work done before he headed back home.

To his surprise, the drive back home was uneventful. Caroline and her car were nowhere in sight. He figured she had finally given up, at least for the day, and decided to leave him alone. Once home, he pushed the door open and called out, "Elena, I'm home." When he didn't get her usual cheery reply, he called out again, this time louder. "Elena, where are you?" He quickly bounded up the stairs and into their shared bedroom. When she wasn't there, he proceeded to make a thorough search of the house. Finally, he gave up and decided to call her. When he did, he heard faint sounds emanating from their bedroom. He slowly stepped back inside and found that Elena's phone was still on the dresser. Damon felt himself panic. This really wasn't his day. He picked up her phone which indicated that she had a voice message. When he played it, he heard a woman say, "Hey, Elena, this is Vicki Donovan. We were supposed to meet at the Grill at 10 am today. If you forgot, it's okay. I'm sure you're pretty stressed out right now; most brides are. Just give me a call when you can and we'll reschedule. Bye."

Damon dialled the number and got Vicki on the line. "Vicki, this is Damon", he said. "Did Elena make it to the Grill today?"

"She didn't", answered Vicki. "Is something wrong?"

"No, it's all fine", answered Damon, robotically and hung up. He put Elena's phone back in its place and dialled Stefan's on his. As soon as his brother answered the phone, he said, "Elena's gone. I don't know where she is. Her phone's here but she's not."

"Damon, would you relax? She probably just went out and forgot to take her phone with her", said Stefan calmly.

"I don't think so", said Damon, starting to panic. "There was a message on her phone from Vicki Donovan telling Elena that she could reschedule their meeting since she'd forgotten about it today. And I know she hadn't cos she told me that she was going to talk to her about the menu today."

"Did you try calling Vicki?" asked Stefan.

"Of course I did", answered Damon. "She didn't make it to the Grill. I've searched everywhere. She's not here."

"Okay, just stay there", said Stefan. "I'll be there in about ten minutes."

For ten agonizingly long minutes Damon paced the living room. He scrolled through the contacts on his phone wondering if he should try calling any of Elena's friends to see if she'd gone to see one of them. He decided against it, realizing that he was too worked up to have a civil conversation with any of her friends. The doorbell finally rung and Damon took off at a sprint and pulled the door open. His relief however was short lived when he saw Caroline Forbes standing at the door, reading from a small notepad. "Now is not a good time", he told her.

"It would be easier if you just told me exactly what happened", she said. When she looked up, she was surprised to see a pale and dishevelled man in front of her instead of the arrogant one that she had spoken to just hours earlier. "What wrong?" she asked.

"None of your business", he answered rudely. "The police will be here soon and I'd much rather talk to them than to you."

"The police have been working your father's case a lot longer than I have and yet I made the connection between you and the art. The police may have the piece back but they're no closer to finding who stole it." Caroline looked him in the eye and asked, "Who do you want investigating for you, me or them?"

Damon caved and let her in. "Elena's missing", he told her. "She's my fiancée. She was supposed to meet someone today but she didn't show. Her phone's still here as well and she doesn't have to be at work for a few more hours."

"Do you mind if I take a look around?" she asked him.

"Go ahead", he said. As Caroline went into the kitchen to take a look around, Damon stood by the door, waiting for Stefan.

Minutes later, Stefan arrived and Caroline walked back into the living room at the exact same time. "When you came home, was the door locked?" she asked Damon.

"We never really lock our house when one of us is in", he answered sheepishly.

"Who is she?" asked Stefan.

"Stefan, this is Caroline Forbes. She's the PI dad hired when his painting went stolen", said Damon. He then turned to Caroline and continued, "I'm sure you know my brother." Caroline simply nodded.

"Why is she in your house?" asked Stefan. "Your house could potentially be a crime scene. The last thing you need is some amateur tainting the evidence."

Caroline bristled as she put her hands on her hips, "First of all, I am not an amateur. I happen to be very good at what I do. Secondly, I don't think this is a crime scene at all."

"If you're so good at what you do, then why haven't you found who stole the painting?" asked Stefan. "The police on the other hand were able to recover it."

"Yes", acknowledged Caroline. "But are you any closer to finding who did it?"

"Are you?" countered Stefan.

"I have some promising leads", she said, looking at Damon.

"Why did you even let her in?" asked Stefan, turning to Damon.

"I don't know Stefan", answered Damon. "May be because my fiancée is missing and I'm desperate!"

"Again, I don't think she's missing", said Caroline. "Did you notice anything out of the ordinary when you came in?"

"Nothing", said Damon. "It was just very, very quiet."

Caroline nodded once again. When she spoke, she sounded sympathetic. "There was a clean spot next to your suitcases and Elena's side of the wardrobe looked very bare. I doubt if that's all the clothes she has."

"You think she left", stated Stefan.

"I do", she answered. "I found this", she said handing over the item to Damon. "It looks like an engagement ring to me."

"It is", answered Damon softly. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.

Just then Matt walked in. "What's going on?" he asked. "Why aren't you searching the house?"

"Matt, that's Caroline Forbes, she's a PI", said Stefan. "And this is Matt. He's my partner on the force."

"What does that have to do with anything?" asked Matt.

"I think Elena packed up and left", answered Caroline. "Her things are gone. She probably just got cold feet or something."

"Her phone's still here", said Damon. "Her clothes are gone but that doesn't mean that it wasn't staged."

"Damon, I really doubt that", said Caroline.

"No", said Damon. "You don't know her. She wouldn't leave. She was excited about getting married. I hated doing all this wedding planning stuff but she didn't."

"Damon, we'll look around the house once more", said Stefan. "Why don't you just sit down and we'll see if we can find anything." He then turned to Caroline. "Thank you, Ms Forbes. We can take it from her."

Caroline nodded her assent. She then turned to Damon and said, "I'm sorry" and then walked out the door.

Damon sat down on the couch and put his head in his hands. He heard Stefan say to him, "The police are going to search the house." He nodded when he realised Stefan was waiting for an answer. He didn't know how long he just sat there but it felt like an eternity. He couldn't stop his mind from showing him all the worst case scenarios. He tried to push it all out of his mind, but he was failing miserably. He felt the cushion next to him dip with the weight of someone sitting down. "We couldn't find anything else", said Stefan softly. "We can't be sure that she was taken by someone. There were no signs of forced entry and like Caroline pointed out, her wardrobe has been almost cleaned out."

"She didn't leave, Stefan", said Damon wearily. "I know she didn't."

"We have to entertain the possibility-", said Stefan before Damon angrily cut him off.

"How could you say that?" asked Damon. "You know Elena as well as I do. I get that if this was any other case, you would be looking at the possibility but this is Elena we're talking about. She would never leave."

Stefan sighed. "All signs point to her leaving", he said. "I will do everything I can to help you look for her but the police won't. This isn't a missing person's case as far as they're concerned."

"I knew I shouldn't have bothered calling", said Damon as he got to his feet.

"Where are you going?" asked Stefan.

"To look for Elena", answered Damon. "I don't care if you don't believe me but I know this. I know she didn't leave out of her own accord."

"Let's say she didn't. What then?" asked Stefan. "Where are you going to look for her? For all you know, she might not even be in Mystic Falls."

"I know that!" exclaimed Damon. "Which is why I wanted the police to help but if they can't then I'm going to do the best I can. I can't live not knowing that she's alright." He didn't wait for Stefan to answer. He slammed the door behind him and walked to his car. He pulled out of the garage and started cruising through the streets with no destination in mind. As his brain started functioning, he realised that she wouldn't be on the road and so he stopped by some of her usual haunts to see if anyone had seen her. All the while he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. He knew that Stefan was probably worried and wouldn't stop calling until he answered but he was in no mood to deal with his brother right then. He switched his phone of continued his search.

As dusk began to settle, he had to acknowledge the fact that he had absolutely no clue as to what he was doing. He felt frustrated beyond belief as he parked his car in his garage. He turned his phone and saw the numerous voice mails from Stefan. He sent him a quick text telling him he was fine and walked back into his house. As soon as he closed the door behind him, he felt the silence grow more and more oppressive. He slowly walked further inside and despite everything, he kept expecting Elena to walk through one of the doors and make a joke about how he was the one worrying now. His feet carried him forward on their own accord and soon he found himself in their room. He could still smell her perfume and he felt his eyes well up with tears. He slumped into bed and stared at the ceiling as he tried to blink the tears away. "Where are you, Elena?" he asked the empty room. He closed his eyes and tried to think of any place in Mystic Falls, he might not have checked already. Anger flooded his thoughts when he remembered the police's insistence on not helping. They could have found her by now but they were just adamant. He felt exhausted, both physically and emotionally and in spite of the thoughts that plagued his mind, he drifted off into a restless slumber.


	4. Hopes and Threats

_AN: Thank you guys so much for the reviews on the last chapter. Reading it all really made me want to write some more. Which brings me to this new chapter. I've been trying to get it up and reply to all those reviews since yesterday but this site seemed to be having issues with the profile section. Anyway, here's the next chapter so get ready to be majorly confused. I really hope you like it. Don't forget to review and follow and favourite!_

When Damon woke up the next morning, he could feel the sun's warm rays on his skin and he wondered why his alarm hadn't gone off. He opened his eyes and his mind registered the fully made bed that he was lying on top of. It was then that the events of the previous day came rushing back and just like that he felt desperate and useless once again. He walked down to the kitchen and stared at the coffee maker. Elena always had a pot on ready for him. He sighed as he sat down by the counter deep in thought. He then remembered Caroline Forbes. She was smart and contrary to what Stefan might have said, she was good at what she did. He looked up at the clock and it was 9 am. It wasn't too early to call. He went online and found her number and placed a call to her offices. "Forbes Private Investigators", said a cheerful voice from the other end of the line. "How may I help you?"

"I'd like to speak to Caroline Forbes", said Damon.

"Of course", said the woman. "Could you please give me your name for the record and I'll transfer your call immediately?"

"I'm Damon Salvatore", answered Damon.

"Thank you Mr Salvatore", said the woman, her cheerful voice starting to get on his nerves. "If you could just stay on the line for one moment, Ms Forbes will be with you." With that, he was put on hold.

Seconds later, he heard Caroline's voice, "Caroline Forbes. How can I help you, Mr Salvatore?"

"I think you already know the answer to that", said Damon.

"I'm really sorry about your fiancée but all signs point to her leaving you", answered Caroline. "I can't imagine what I could do to help you."

"For the sake of this conversation, why don't we just say that Elena left this house willingly? Can you track her down?" asked Damon.

Caroline sighed. "I suppose I could. But are you sure you want to find her?"

"I'm positive", he said.

"Alright then", said Caroline. "Why don't you meet me at my office at 11 am today? We can talk about my fees and exactly what my services include. My assistant will give you the address. I'll see you at 11 am sharp, Mr Salvatore."

Before Damon could say another word, he was transferred back to Caroline's assistant. He took down the address that she gave him and then looked back at the clock. It was 9.30 am. He had plenty of time until his appointment.

11 am came too soon and he was standing in the lobby, just outside Caroline's office, wondering if he should go ahead with this or turn around and walk away. Just as he was about to walk out, a young girl came out of Caroline's office. "You must be Mr Salvatore", she said. "Ms Forbes is waiting for you. You can go right in."

Damon thanked her and knocked on the office door. "Come in", he heard Caroline call out. He slowly pushed the door open and entered the medium sized office room. At its centre was a large table behind which, Caroline was seated. The opposite walls were lined with shelves, some of which held books while others held folders. The wall behind Caroline had a large bulletin board with a number of newspaper clippings, wanted posters and missing persons' posters on it. "Have a seat Mr Salvatore", said Caroline sensing his discomfort. When Damon sat down, she continued, "What would you like to talk about first, my methods or my fee?"

"The fees, I can handle", answered Damon. "I think I'd like to hear what you're going to be doing."

"Well, I already know a fair amount of things about Elena thanks to the investigation I'm still conducting for your father", said Caroline. "I won't be contacting anyone who's close to her because if they know where she is, they won't tell me and they will warn her. What I will do is poke around her other contacts, see if any of them have seen or heard from her. I also might have access to certain cameras in and around the city which should help me track her. The most important thing I'm going to be doing is monitoring her online activity. There's no way a working woman Elena's age can stay off the internet for too long. If I can't find her after a week, I'll loop a few other contacts I have in other cities and states and we'll widen the search."

"That sounds good", said Damon.

"But it's going to cost you", said Caroline. "I don't expect this to take more than a week or two at most so-"

Damon cut her off saying, "Like I said I don't care about the charge."

"You still don't believe that she left of her own free will, do you?" asked Caroline.

"I've known Elena for years now and I know she wouldn't just leave", answered Damon. "Even if she were going to leave me, this isn't how she would do it. There has to be something more to it."

"Do you think this has anything to do with the Good Samaritan?" asked Caroline.

"What could a thief who's yet to be caught have to do with my fiancée?" asked Damon feigning innocence.

"If there's any reason other than what you've just told me to make you think that Elena has indeed been kidnapped, then you have to let me know", said Caroline, fixing him with a steady stare. "If I keep looking for her under the assumption that she took off voluntarily when she's actually been taken, all my effort and all your money would go to waste."

"I know that", said Damon. "So believe me when I say this, I'm telling you the truth. I would never do something to put Elena at risk."

Caroline nodded. "Alright then, I'll be in touch. My assistant, April will give you a copy of the payment and if there's anything you need she can help you."

Damon got to his feet and shook her hand. "Thank you", he said. "The police won't take on this case so I can't tell you how grateful I am that you're will to do it." Caroline just smiled politely as Damon headed out of her office.

Soon, Damon was back at home. He realised that ever since Elena had moved in with him, he had never actually spent more than a few hours at a time alone in the house. The home that he had so lovingly designed and built now felt oppressive. It was as if the walls were closing in on him and he just couldn't breathe. Despite the open concept of the house, he was starting to feel claustrophobic. Deciding that he couldn't stay inside the house any longer, he got up and went outside. Even the smallest things reminded him of Elena. He remembered what she had told Stefan just days earlier. "It's Mystic Falls, Stefan. Nothing bad ever happens here", she had said. He was forced to wonder if she had indeed been right. But that would mean that what Caroline and the police believed would have to be true and it just couldn't be true. He knew it in his heart. He had felt it when he had walked into the quiet house at around noon the day before. He had to find her; he needed to find her. He just couldn't bear the thought of her in danger.

Damon ran his hand through his messy hair and sat down on the front lawn. He didn't want to simply wait around for Caroline to come up with an answer, if she ever came up with an answer. She had said it herself; she was working under the assumption that Elena had left which meant that she wouldn't be looking in the right places. This was all just frustrating. Why wouldn't anybody believe him? He knew that if he stayed put for any longer, he would only go insane. So he got into his car and started canvasing again. He knew that his search probably have the same results that he had the day before but he had to try and try, he did.

-xx-

Elena woke up with a jolt on an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar room. She sat up and rubbed her eyes wondering if she was now seeing things. She wondered if she was dreaming but the dull throb of her head told her otherwise. She got off the bed and walked to the window and pulling the curtains aside, she pushed them open. Bright sun light streamed into her window and it was clear to her that it was well into the day. She looked out at the quiet neighbourhood. The place looked so familiar. She had been there before but she just couldn't remember it. She paced the room as she tried to remember the events of the previous day. She had been getting ready to meet Vicki at the Grill. Just a few minutes before she was about to leave, a man had shown up at her door and asked her for directions to Sunset Lane. The next thing she remembered was waking up in the strange room. Realizing she wasn't going to get any answers from an empty room, she stepped outside and walked down to the lobby. The first thing that caught her attention was the fact that the lobby looked like no one had set foot in it in years. Just as she was about to leave, she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. "Anybody there?" she asked.

A shadowy figure crossed her line of sight but she didn't get an answer. She slowly inched forward and kept her eyes open. She made it all the way to the back of the room but still, there was no one in sight. Giving up, she walked out of the motel and onto the streets which were just as empty as the motel. She wandered aimlessly around looking for a telephone booth or a police station or any other sign of life. About an hour later, she gave up and sat down by the side of the road, hoping that someone would cross her path sooner rather than later.

-xx-

Stefan pulled up to his brother's house and was surprised to find it locked. He knocked on the door but got no response. He checked the garage to find Damon's car gone. He sighed and pulled out his phone. Leaning against his car, he called his brother. "What?" he heard Damon snap at him through the phone.

"Where are you?" asked Stefan.

"My fiancée is missing and no one else is willing to do anything about it", answered Damon. "What do you think I'm doing?"

"If she's been taken, you're not going to find her by roaming the streets aimlessly and if she left, I doubt if she'll still be in Mystic Falls. At the very least, she wouldn't hang out at the usual places", said Stefan.

"I know", said Damon, sounding defeated.

"Why don't you come home?" asked Stefan.

"I don't want to", answered Damon.

"You can spend the night at my place if you want to", suggested Stefan.

Damon laughed. "The two of us under the same roof? That didn't end well the last time."

"The house is still standing", said Stefan. "I guess it could handle both of us for another night."

Damon sighed loudly and said, "I'll be there."

"Good", said Stefan. "I'll be home in about 15 minutes." Stefan then hung up and was glad that he got what could be considered as a positive response from his brother. One step at a time, he reminded himself as he drove home. And knowing Damon, it would probably be baby steps.

By the time Stefan got back to his apartment, Damon was already there, waiting outside the door to be let in. "Took you long in enough", he said when Stefan was in sight. "I know you're a cop but that doesn't mean you have to drive at snail pace."

"I do not drive at snail pace", answered Stefan, defensively. He unlocked the door and the two walked in. Damon immediately plopped down on the couch and propped his feet up on the coffee table. "So?" asked Stefan.

"So?" Damon asked in response.

"What were you up to today?" Stefan asked, clarifying his previous question.

"I hired Caroline Forbes", said Damon. "Then, I spent the rest of the day looking for Elena."

"Damon, you need to stop doing this", said Stefan.

"Why?" asked Damon.

"Because it's pointless", answered Stefan. "She's gone, Damon and by the looks of it, she left on her own free will. If she wanted you to know where she is, she would have told you before she left. It's time you let this go; it's time you let her go."

"I can't believe you're saying this", said Damon. "You know her as well as I do. Does any of this sound like something she would do?"

"It doesn't", agreed Stefan. "But that doesn't mean that that's what happened. All the signs point to it."

"What if you're wrong?" asked Damon. "What if she's all alone and scared? What if somebody took her and she's waiting for us to find her? How would she feel if she were to find out that nobody was looking for her? Did you ever stop to think what she could be going through right this minute if I'm right?"

"I have thought about it", said Stefan as he reheated some of the previous night's leftovers in the oven. "It scares me to even consider the possibility. But Damon, it seems very unlikely. Do you want to know what makes me so sure what you're coming up is just not true?" Damon simply nodded in response. "I didn't want to talk to you about this until we were alone. Matt's already seen this." He pulled out a piece of paper from his jacket pocket and handed it over to Damon. Damon just looked confused. "Those are her call logs from the day she left. See that number", he said pointing to a number that was highlighted multiple times on the single sheet of paper. "I checked for that number in Elena's phone as well and it isn't saved. Not only does she receive calls from this number multiple times a day, but she also calls this person quite often by the looks of it. It's also the last call she made from her phone."

"Any idea who it is?" asked Damon, already dreading the answer.

"I don't know", said Stefan and Damon let out a breath he didn't realise he had been holding. "It's a burner phone and it's either been tossed or switched off."

"She wasn't cheating on me", said Damon with conviction.

"I don't think she was either", said Stefan. "I just think this could be a friend she didn't want you to know about; someone who helped her pull her disappearing act."

"I still don't believe that she left me, Stefan", said Damon.

"I don't expect you to", answered Stefan. "But one day, you're going to have to face the truth." The microwave beeped indicating the food was ready. Stefan got two plates out and took the bowl out of the oven. "It's not much but I have some left over pot roast", said Stefan.

"I'm not hungry", said Damon getting to his feet. "I'm just going to head home."

"Are you sure you want to?" asked Stefan.

"Actually, I'm sure I don't want to", said Damon. "But I can't do this either. I can't sit here and try to convince myself that she's really done when I don't believe it now and I know I won't be believing it anytime in the future either. I can't believe anything until I see her again."

Stefan nodded in understanding. "I don't want you to think I'm being harsh", said Stefan, "and maybe I am. But I just want you to acknowledge the fact that there is a second possibility. When the truth inevitably comes out, I just want you to be prepared."

"If you're right, then it won't matter", said Damon before leaving the house.

As soon as Damon was out of earshot, Stefan kicked the empty trash can in his kitchen. He had intended to be sensitive, but instead, he'd just made things worse. He paced the small kitchen wondering how he was going to make things better. Motivational speeches and pep talks were clearly not his forte but those were things Damon excelled at. No matter what the circumstance, he knew he could count on his brother's support and that's exactly what made him feel so much worse. Damon needed him to be his brother but instead, he was being the cop. He needed help; he needed advice, that much was clear to him. But with Damon not being an option, he had no idea who to turn to. His father? He wondered idly.

-xx-

Damon was once more struck by how dark and quiet his house was. As he made his way up the stairs, he heard the distinct sound of a phone ringing. He had heard that ringtone a hundred times. As much as it had annoyed him, it had been Elena's favourite tone. He bounded the last few stairs to his room and answered her phone, breathlessly, "Elena?" he asked, expectantly.

"Not quite", answered a male voice from the other end.

"Who is this?" asked Damon, suddenly on high alert.

"I could tell you", said the man, "but that would simply ruin the surprise. Now let's just cut to the chase. I know where Elena is and I know that she isn't going to be getting out of there anytime soon."

"Where is she?" asked Damon.

"All in due time", said the man.

"How do I know you aren't lying?" asked Damon.

"You don't", answered the man. "You have no choice but to trust me unless you don't want to see your fiancée ever again. The ring, the suitcase, and the clothes – those were just set up to mislead the police and I have to say, I'm impressed by your conviction. Even when everyone told you that she left you, you didn't believe them. Anyway, I'm straying from the point again. I know who you are. I know you steal from the rich and give to the poor; a real robin hood", the man added with a slight laugh that just made Damon flinch. "Don't bother denying it, I know I'm right. So here's what you need to do. I need something valuable. I won't tell you what it is just yet but I can tell you that it's in the possession of a private collector. You'll receive the blueprint of the house very soon along with the location of the item within the house. You'll also get a picture of said item along with a very detailed physical description. That should make things easy for you. I want the item safely in my hands a week from when you receive the details."

"And what if I don't do it?" asked Damon.

The man just laughed. "Didn't I make it clear already? You'll never get to see Elena again; at least not alive. Oh and Damon, no talking to the police. I'll know if you do. And besides, we don't want your brother knowing you moonlight as a thief, do we?" Damon grunted in response for lack of a better option. "Good", said the man enthusiastically over the phone. "Then, it's settled. Do this right and everything will be back to normal. You can go back to living your life as it was; you can even get married right on schedule. Just don't screw it up." With that final taunt, the line went dead.

Damon felt the irrational urge to throw the phone at the wall and let it shatter to pieces. The rational side of his brain reminded him that he needed it to stay in contact with the man who held Elena. He put the phone down gently and sat down on his bed. He took in a deep breath. The man had promised him that Elena would be back once he got whatever it is that he wanted. He'd broken into houses before, he could go it again. He may have promised Elena that he was done with that life but he was going to have to do it one last time. He knew the risks and he was more than willing to take those risks. He didn't care about getting caught anymore. As long as it guaranteed Elena's safety, he would do it.


End file.
